Refreshing Your Ministry Vision step 5
How To Write A Vision Statement
It seems like everywhere you turn, an organization (be it corporate or religious) is telling you their vision. How do they build those statements? How can you build one of your own? Take a look below and you’ll find a simple process and some helpful hints.
The climax of the visionary process is writing and refining a vision statement. The process of developing a vision for your church involves bringing together (in the context of prayer, Bible study, and honest seeking of the Lord’s direction) the biblical mandates that define the timeless mission of the church and the situational realities in which your church exists and ministers. Reflect on those two elements of your specific situation and come to specific conclusions.
Now, write out your vision statement as concisely as possible. As you do, be sure your vision statement
- identifies the people you believe God is calling you to minister to, your target audience.
- clarifies the purpose of your ministry to these people. What are you planning to accomplish with them?
- identifies the elements which make your church distinct from others in the area. What characteristics or purposes set your church apart from others?
Make the statement as clear and compelling as possible. Be sure it
- uses clear, graphic language that communicates positive images.
- uses terms that are active rather than passive.
- paints an attractive mental picture that people will want to identify with and become a part of.
- is concise, preferably less than fifty words.
Be sure to rewrite and refine the vision statement, as you would any important document, so the wording is clear and specific.
This is the final part of a blog series that walks you in-depth through a vision-development process. If you would like to more fully explore the process, be sure to check out the previous steps:
Step 1: What Are the Biblical Mandates for Your Ministry
Step 2: Understand Your Unique Strengths, Abilities, and Limitations
Step 3: Understand Your Congregation’s Unique Strengths, Abilities, and Limitations
Step 4: Develop An Awareness of the Needs of Those Outside Your Ministry
This post is based on a portion of Andrew Seidel’s work Charting A Bold Course: Training Leaders for 21st Century Ministry. For more information on this title and for many other leadership resources, visit our Resource Center today!
About the Contributors
Andrew B. Seidel
Dr. Andrew B. Seidel served as executive director of the Hendricks Center at Dallas Seminary for fifteen years, which provides leadership training and development for seminary students as well as ministry and business leaders. A graduate of West Point and a colonel in the U.S. Army, Dr. Seidel was senior pastor at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas, for fourteen years. He left the pastorate to provide leadership training for pastors on the mission field in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Today he continues to work in Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia with Entrust (formerly BEE International). The author of Charting a Bold Course; Training Leaders for 21st Century Ministry, Dr. Seidel and his wife Gail Norris Seidel have been married for more than fifty years and have two married children and six grandchildren.
Contributors
